Scotland team pay respect to fallen internationals at French war memorial

Members of Scotland's Rugby World Cup management team visited a war memorial where two former Scotland internationals are among the 72,000 fallen troops honoured.

Before their impressive win over Romania in the Rugby World Cup 2023 in Lille, head coach Gregor Townsend and his coaching staff spent "an important and poignant part" of their time at the Thiepval Memorial.

In the First World War, Scottish Rugby said they "lost a total of 30 capped players – more than any other Union".

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Scottish Rugby said: "The loss was underlined when you look at the last international match which took place before hostilities erupted.

"It pitted Scotland against England at Inverleith in Edinburgh on Saturday 21 March 1914, with England edging a narrow win."

Eric Milroy

Scottish Rugby added: "Scotland were captained by Eric Milroy, the Watsonians scrum-half, who had toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions in 1910.

"Sadly, Milroy was among six of the Scotland team that day who died in the First World War and five of the England team perished in the same conflict.

"Milroy is among those remembered in Thiepval on the outskirts of Lille along with Rowland Fraser who played as a forward for Scotland and Cambridge University RFC. He was selected to play for Scotland in the 1911 Six Nations."

Furthermore, Eric Milroy's descendants worked with Scottish Rugby and the French Rugby Federation to create the Auld Alliance Trophy in 2018, in which France and Scotland compete annually in the Guinness Six Nations Championship.